Maryland Board Revokes Doctor’s Medical License for Involvement in Assisted Suicides

The Maryland Board of Physicians revoked the medical license of Dr. Lawrence Egbert, a physician well-known for his involvement in assisted suicide, who revealed that he has been present in hundreds of suicides.

This is not the first time Egbert has come under legal scrutiny for his work. The death with dignity advocate formerly led a group called the Final Exit Network, which says it does not actually help individuals commit suicide but provides guidance and information and companionship during the process.

Egbert’s medical license was revoked on Tuesday, ABC News reports, due to his presence in six specific suicides of Maryland residents. Neither doctor-assisted suicide nor death with dignity for terminally ill patients is legal in the state.

Egbert has publicly confirmed that he has been present in many suicides where the device used to end the patients life is often a hood that’s placed over the individual’s head and filled with helium. He told the Washington Post in 2012, “There are some people who like to suffer — that there is a religious gain in suffering. I don’t believe that.”

The Maryland Board of Physicians says Egbert was present during the suicides, rehearsals and held the patients’ hands during the process.